in another time
by Marahuyo
Summary: What does it mean to truly have your heartstrings tied with another? How would you define "first love?" When do you think is the best time for it? Would you be able to move on should those ties be severed? / NejiSaku with one-sided SasuSaku / One-shot. / Standard disclaimer applied. / A hospital visit of beginnings, in-betweens, and a not-quite ending.


**/**

Sakura is twenty years old and already the hospital's head practitioner. She has grown and branched out in all the right ways, but faded in some. Her pink tresses tied up in her signature ponytail; her doctor's stark white coat almost two sizes too big on her petite frame. She is tired and weary, brows forever furrowed and always milling about the corridors, patient to patient. For tonight, like many others previous, Sakura is jaded.

She has long since ceased believing that the avenger Uchiha Sasuke would come back. She doesn't even know if he's still the same boy—no, man—she fell in love with all those years ago. Was it really love, though? Maybe all the other girls went through it, and Sakura being her competitive self wanted to join in on the fun, too. And when grown-ups had to grow up, she didn't give up on the aforementioned feeling because maybe she needed a driving force. I mean, what purpose does your life have without an ambition, right?

Sakura is twenty years old and had just finished a seven-hour brain surgery when Hyuuga Neji abruptly approached her and asked for her permission of courtship.

They had known each other for a while now; training and eating and laughing and fighting and having tea parties with each other since a couple of years back certainly wouldn't prevent the inevitable thread of mutual appreciation of the other person.

"I'm not ready to go back out there, Neji-san. I'm sorry." Which is the truth. Her heart's still occupied with the ever-present anchors of first _love_ —again, going out on a limb here—and the endless tug-of-rope of life and death within the hospital perimeters.

"Heh, I would assume the reason for that case is because of the Uchiha, isn't? You're still emotionally attached to him, it would seem. Still love him, even." The Hyuuga smirked and shook his head; like he already saw it coming before even stepping a foot inside the medical facility.

Uchiha Sasuke? The boy—now man—with the black, black hair and deep, deep eyes and cold, cold interior? How could Sakura ever possibly fall in love with a man like _him_?

And maybe she already has. Maybe it's because of the way he reacted after she got beaten up in the Chuunin Exams. Maybe it's because of the way he screamed her name when she got hit by a kunai on that boat mission all those genin years ago. Maybe the way he would stare into oblivion and lose himself in the moment. Maybe it's because of the way his left cheek would rise and a dimple would form whenever Naruto said something idiotic—again—when he thought no one was looking. Maybe. But how could anyone _not_ ever look at Sasuke?

Uchiha Sasuke with the dark hair and dark eyes and dark past. Uchiha Sasuke who was just a little boy, scared and alone, when all his blood relatives went back to Earth.

With all that said though, what even is love, really?

Sakura took a deep breath and smiled softly.

"To love someone means to pursue what is best for them, and sometimes you are not what is best for them, and that is a hard lesson to learn and one that I have learned many times. In this life, we will have opportunities to love with full hearts and have our hearts loved back, but sometimes we must experience love with tears in our eyes. It is difficult to let go of someone we cherish, but if it is not good for either of you, then you must let go and love from afar."

Pale and emerald eyes clashed.

"Ask me again in another time, Neji."

And maybe her heart really isn't ready—for now at least. And maybe when she's had more dango and fought the branch member more and threw more glitter at his smug, infuriating, handsome face and had more chamomile and spearmint tea with him—in time, she will be ready.

Hyuuga Neji smiled; it didn't quite reach his ears and gave him dimples, but for sure it was a genuine one.

"Of course, Sakura. I can even ask again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the evening of that day. And the week after that."

"Of course I will ask another time, Sakura. No matter how many times it takes. No matter how many trials we face. No matter how long it takes."

"Of course."

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 **A/N:** It's 3am (+8hrs) here and I have not proofread this piece. I'm still waiting for my laptop's Windows 10 update so yeah, here I am. Also, we had a quiz in Geology earlier; it was rock-hard. Get it? Rock and geo hehehe *gets shot*

P.S. Wonderful cover photo creds to _xKari-Chan_ and _tenchufreak_ of Deviantart.

P.P.S. I miss Neji ughhhh—smh at you, Kishimoto-san.


End file.
